Tomblin reflects on working with GOP Legislature
By The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — After West Virginia's first Republican-led legislative session in more than eight decades, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has some decisions to make.

Lawmakers sent the Democrat 261 bills in the session that ended March 14, and he still has to act on about 180 of them. The most contentious of the bunch eliminated the requirement for people to get licensed to carry...

Legislators closed out the first regular session of the 82nd West Virginia Legislature on Wednesday, approving a 2015-16 budget bill that includes $4.3 billion in spending from tax revenue while also continuing to correct an upsurge of bills vetoed for technical errors. The budget bill (HB2016) takes $22.7 million from the state’s “Rainy Day” reserve fund to balance the budget, but it also...

Being unable to run for re-election and not seeking other political office in 2016, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin agreed Tuesday that there will be less political pressure as he decides whether to sign or veto bills passed this session – including a bill to make it legal to conceal carry a firearm without a permit, which has been generating interest...